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long time tenter

Hello all. I'm checking in from Mn, and I've pretty much spent my entire life camping. Twelve years ago I got interested in backpacking, and moved to Co. shortly thereafter. I enjoyed many treks throughout Estes, Rocky Mtn. and small sections of the Continental Divide. I got married six years ago, and with kids and all, I just haven't found the time to get out. Last weekend I made my innaugeral canoe trip to the Boundary Waters. It was phenomenal, and I can't wait to go again. However, sleeping on the ground wasn't quite easy as I recall it! Between the hard canoe seat, the makeshift camp chairs (super comfy logs) and my hard lumpy bed, I've set about looking for a little bit of luxury before venturing back out into the wilderness. I have absolutely no hammock experience, but it sure looks inviting. I just checked out Hennessey Hammocks, and the Explorer Deluxe Asym Classic looks to fit my dimensions. I have questions though. Is there a recommended brand? How good are the mosquito nets (the Boundary Waters isn't exactly mosquito friendly)? How well will these fare in inclement weather (I probably won't use it for any winter camping)? Do I need any other accessories with it? How long can i expect this gear to hold up? You guys probably don't want to answer these questions in this forum, but if you can point me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated.

Also, you may want to click on the "Videos" link near the top of this page & take a look at some of the videos on hammock basics. Shug & Grizzly are two that come to mind right off who have good instructional videos, but there are others as well.

First of all - Welcome to the forum! You will likely find this place to be one of the most inviting and friendly forums you have ever dared post!

Secondly, welcome to the world of hammocking - I myself started about a year ago and can tell you it is night and day with regards to comfort in comparison with the ground.

Now, for some of your questions:

Brands: Many are biased / love their brand. I am one of them... but can tell you to take a look at as many hammocks as you can... Just make sure one of them is a Warbonnet Blackbird (WBBB)

Re: Mosquito nets - from my experience w/ a WBBB the net is great - nothing has ever got in that I didn't accidentally let in through the side-entry zipper.

Re: Mosquitoes in general - mosquitoes can bite through some of the higher fabric-weight hammocks... it is said that 1.1 nylon is too tight for them to bite through... I use a double layer 1.7 and have never been bitten through it but YMMV. This being said, they can not bite through a foam pad or under quilt... which brings us to your next question:

Accessories:
You WILL need a Rain Fly / Tarp. Hammocks (except a select and interesting few) are not designed to be water-proof enclosures, rather they are a "bed" if you would. A fly keeps the elements off you from above.
You WILL need some sort of insulation. Many use top-quilts. I use a sleeping bag (I generally keep it open and over top of me. Sometimes I climb in and use it as bottom insulation as well if it is "warm" out and I'm not using a pad.

You WILL need bottom insulation - think "Bridge freezes before roadway" - the cold will get you from underneath. Compressible materials won't cut it in the cold - I use a thin foam pad and this works well enough for me. Many prefer a designated under quilt which hangs under the hammock and is thus not compressed by your body weight. These are supposed to work really well. Again, totally up to you. I suggest starting with a pad and seeing how you like it (they are cheap) and once you become a gear-nut like most of the members here you can buy more toys.

Durability: Most of the gear I have seen is very well built. I expect my blackbird to be around when I am dead - although much worn in and used by then The saving grace of the gear is the fact that you will likely buy more gear... just because more is better and whomever dies with the most gear wins (right??) But seriously - very durable stuff mostly.

This place is FILLED with more on the above topics... this is just a quick primer.. I'm sure others will be sending you links shortly with better info. Also, try searching youtube for "Hammock Camping" - the community has put together tons of cool stuff.

Once again, welcome! You're gonna wonder how you ever camped without a hammock once you try it and find one you like!

I checked out the Warbonnet that XexorZ recommended and it looks like a very nice hammock, although it doesn't appear to come with a tarp as the HH does. However, what I really want to know is the pluses and minuses of the bottom entry hammocks vs. the side entries.

Bottom entry becomes a pain if you are using bottom insulation or a pad (which you likely will need to do unless you only hammock in 70+ deg F). There are mods to turn bottom entry hammocks into side entry.

Side entry just works

Someone who uses bottom entry exclusively please argue any counter points as I am unable to find any (I'm not educated / aware of any at least)

First off welcome to the forums! (I'm pretty new here myself and have received a very warm welcome and have learned TONS of info on here.) Since you're looking into the hammock theory I'll give you my story.
I got into hammocking because it was lighter then my tent, which was nice because I recently started getting into long distance backpacking, and it was more comfortable then my tent ever was/would be.
I started with an ENO Single Nest, ENO suspension, ENO Tarp, and ENO bugnet. All fine choices and actually worked out perfectly for a starter hammock setup.
THEN I found this website...and the fun really began. I just picked up a HH yesterday, slept in it last night, and am happy to have upgraded.
So if your unsure if you REALLY are going to enjoy the hammock theory, I suggest looking into an ENO, they're cheap on price, but still durable and can give you an idea if you can do the hammock deal or not, and you can always upgrade from there. OR I would suggest an HH (yep...biased opinion). They're a little more expensive then an ENO but IMO a nicer setup and a little lighter overall, easier to setup etc.

Good luck on your hunt and keep reading around the forums, there's plenty of good tips and info for you to read.